U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today called Verizon Wireless’ decision to double its early termination fee “anti-competitive” and “anti-consumer.”

Verizon, the country’s largest wireless provider, plans to double the fee consumers must pay to get out of their contract early from $175 to $350. The fee drops on a sliding scale based on how many months are left on the contract. The change takes effect Nov. 15.

“These fees are anti-consumer and anti-competitive and they bear little to no relationship to the cost of the handset device,” said Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, in a press release.

Klobuchar said she sent a letter to Lowell C. McAdam, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless, detailing her concerns with the higher fee. Text from the letter is pasted below.

Dear Mr. McAdam:

As you know, I introduced legislation in the last Congress – the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act – that would encourage transparency, competition, and quality service in the wireless market. Among other pro-consumer measures, this legislation would require wireless carriers to pro-rate their Early Termination Fees (ETFs) so that, at a minimum, a consumer exiting a two-year contract after the end of the first year would have to pay only half of the termination fee.Read more…

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today called Verizon Wireless’ decision to double its early termination fee “anti-competitive” and “anti-consumer.”

Verizon, the country’s largest wireless provider, plans to double the fee consumers must pay to get out of their contract early from $175 to $350. The fee drops on a sliding scale based on how many months are left on the contract. The change takes effect Nov. 15.

“These fees are anti-consumer and anti-competitive and they bear little to no relationship to the cost of the handset device,” said Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, in a press release.

Klobuchar said she sent a letter to Lowell C. McAdam, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless, detailing her concerns with the higher fee. Text from the letter is pasted below.

Dear Mr. McAdam:

As you know, I introduced legislation in the last Congress – the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act – that would encourage transparency, competition, and quality service in the wireless market. Among other pro-consumer measures, this legislation would require wireless carriers to pro-rate their Early Termination Fees (ETFs) so that, at a minimum, a consumer exiting a two-year contract after the end of the first year would have to pay only half of the termination fee.Read more…

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today called Verizon Wireless’ decision to double its early termination fee “anti-competitive” and “anti-consumer.”

Verizon, the country’s largest wireless provider, plans to double the fee consumers must pay to get out of their contract early from $175 to $350. The fee drops on a sliding scale based on how many months are left on the contract. The change takes effect Nov. 15.

“These fees are anti-consumer and anti-competitive and they bear little to no relationship to the cost of the handset device,” said Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, in a press release.

Klobuchar said she sent a letter to Lowell C. McAdam, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless, detailing her concerns with the higher fee. Text from the letter is pasted below.

Dear Mr. McAdam:

As you know, I introduced legislation in the last Congress – the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act – that would encourage transparency, competition, and quality service in the wireless market. Among other pro-consumer measures, this legislation would require wireless carriers to pro-rate their Early Termination Fees (ETFs) so that, at a minimum, a consumer exiting a two-year contract after the end of the first year would have to pay only half of the termination fee.Read more…

Andy Vuong joined The Denver Post as a business reporter in 2000 after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a news-editorial degree. His primary beats are gambling, telecommunications and technology. Over the years, his coverage has included everything from aviation to federal courts.